Lu Rui set off from Xiangyang with the escort team, rested for a night in Jiangling, and then headed to Wuling. When he arrived at Wuling County, he entered the territory of Wuman River. "Brother Rui, tell me, what delicious food is there in Wuling? Should we eat something delicious when we arrive in Wuling before heading to Wuman River?" Cao Chong followed Lu Rui on his pony and asked Before I went to Wuling County, I wanted to eat delicious food. "Foodie!" Lu Rui shook his head. Cao Chong was actually a gourmet from the Three Kingdoms. He had to taste delicious food wherever he went, which gave Lu Rui a headache. "Hey, brother Rui, we are going to send off Sister Hua's wedding. How can we have the strength to send off the bride if we don't eat more? Besides, I heard that the barbarians in the south have a special way of welcoming the bride. It may be a test for us. We can't be hungry." Cao Chong followed Lu. After being around Rui for a long time, he has learned to be smooth-tongued and make any excuses in order to eat delicious food. "Forget it, let's take a short rest when we get to Wuling." Although we are sending off a bride, we still need to understand Wumanxi's attitude and show off how many troops Wumanxi is willing to send to support Cao Cao. "Brother Rui is wise!" Cao Chong waved his riding crop in front of Lu Rui and patted Lu Rui on the back. "Brother Chong, everyone in the Cao family is not optimistic about Huamei's marriage, and even opposes it. Why are you still so happy?" Seeing Cao Chong's appearance, Lu Rui suddenly wanted to give Cao Chong a try. Cao Hua's marriage, Cao Chong's thoughts What is it! "Brother Rui, Sister Hua's marriage was arranged by my father. You and I can't have any objections. It's just that my brother thinks that marrying Sister Hua to Wumanxi would be a good destination." Cao Chong was eating wild fruits on his horse, smiling. Looked at Lu Rui. "A good home?" "Yes, Brother Rui, our Cao family is no longer what it used to be, and the Cao family's daughter naturally has more responsibilities. The father's marriage must be completed by the Cao family's daughter. Xiahou family, Xun family The family, Jia family, etc., as long as the father relies on his ministers, his son will have a great chance of getting married to the Cao family. "So what?" "Brother Rui, the father may not be a hero, and there is a good chance that the son is a fool." . If the daughter of the Cao family has a good tone and marries a young hero who inherits her father's business, there is nothing to say, but how many of the people I want to marry now, Sister Hua, are outstanding? The son of the barbarian king of Wumanxi is not sure how talented the prince is, but the position of the princess is considered secure. If the Cao family is the emperor and the daughter is a princess, it is better to marry a barbarian king than to marry a minister. " "Yes. Lu Rui nodded, Cao Chong's words were good. Cao Hua married to Wumanxi. With the support of the Cao family, she must be the princess. Although she is the princess of the tribe, her power can penetrate into the entire tribe. It is indeed much better than marrying the son of an incompetent minister. "Then what is the second one?" "Brother Rui, although my Cao family seems to be in a good position, it is surrounded by dangers. If you are not careful, the foundation of the Cao family will not be preserved, and even the children of my Cao family will die unexpectedly. Sister Hua can marry into the fifth generation. Manxi, staying away from the Cao family's disputes is not a bad thing. "Cao Chong's words are very reasonable. Although Cao Cao is now in control of the overall situation, the crisis still exists, just like Sima Min's assassination. If Cao Cao hadn't been so suspicious, I'm afraid the Cao family would have been destroyed. Even in history, Cao Cao was assassinated many times. As long as the Cao family did not proclaim himself emperor for a day, something happened to Cao Cao. The Cao family may face the disaster of annihilation. "I didn't expect Canshu to think like this. If everyone in the Cao family had your wisdom, Father Zhong wouldn't need to be in such a mess." Lu Rui touched Cao Chong's little head. A genius is a genius. If Cao Chong is allowed to ascend the throne, I'm afraid The history of Cao Wei can be easily changed without Lu Rui. After half a month's journey, the brigade arrived at Wuling County. The prefect Jin Xuan led Wen and Wu to greet Lu Rui and his party outside the city gate. "See you Lord Xuan!" "There is no need to be polite to Yuan Ji. Today I am sending my bride to Wumanxi and passing by Wuling County, which disturbs Yuan Ji." Lu Rui still had a good impression of Jin Xuan. Cao Ang took Liu Qi's edict He was ordered to persuade the governors of each county to surrender. Although the governors of the four southern counties of Jingzhou all surrendered, only Jin Xuan offered gold and beautiful women to show his loyalty. Compared with the other three governors, Jin Xuan was considered pro-Cao. "Your Majesty, you're welcome. Xuan has prepared everything. Please come to the inn to rest. I'll take care of you in the evening." "It's time for you." Lu Rui bowed his hand and led a large group of people into Wuling. city. At night, Lu Rui took Cao Pi, Cao Xiu, Cao Chong, and Kuai Yue to Jin Xuan's dinner. After the dinner, Lu Rui and the others went to the side hall of Jinxuan's backyard. "Yuanji, how is the situation in Wuman River?" After the dinner, it was natural to talk about business. Jin Xuan is a local snake, and he has to rely on Jin Xuan to understand the situation in Wuman River. "Master Hou, this marriage is between the Prime Minister and Wumanxi. Wumanxi attaches great importance to it. The old Man KingOn the same day, I went up to the mountain to kill some tigers, and sewed them into robes and cloaks, ready to be given to the Prime Minister. "Jin Xuan arched his hands and reported back to Lu Rui that the Barbarian King of Wuman River went to hunt tigers in person. Although this gift was not generous, it showed his sincerity. Tiger hunting in the south is a compulsory course for ordinary barbarian soldiers, and the Barbarian King went there in person. Killing a tiger without resorting to others shows how much he values ??Cao. "Well, who is the son of the Barbarian King? Will the old barbarian king send troops to help us attack Chaisang this time? "Lu Rui nodded. He has sincerity, but sending troops is the key. The size of the army affects Lu Rui's strategic deployment. "Reporting to the Marquis, the name of the Barbarian King's son is Samoko! He is the number one warrior in Wuman River, and he alone commands 30,000 barbarian soldiers, all of whom are exceptionally brave. However, the old barbarian king has always been very worried about this son's bravery and lack of strategy. As for sending troops, the old barbarian king has agreed to send 50,000 troops to support the Prime Minister in attacking Sun Quan. " "Fifty thousand? ! "Kuai Yue was shocked after hearing Jin Xuan's words. There were about 100,000 barbarians in Wuman River. The old barbarian king was actually willing to send half of his troops to support Cao Cao. This was beyond Kuai Yue's expectation. "Shamoke? " After listening to Jin Xuan's words, Lu Rui realized that Cao Hua was going to marry Shamoke, the barbarian king of Wumanxi who was killed by Zhou Tai in history. "The Marquis also knows about Shamoke? "Jin Xuan was stunned for a moment, looking at Lu Rui's expression as if he was a little shocked. Could it be that Samoko's name had actually spread to the Central Plains? "The chamber of commerce in Fan County traveled to and from various parts of the Han Dynasty, and the caravan from Jingzhou once mentioned this to me. People, so I have some impressions. "Lu Rui made a random excuse and brought the matter to a close. "Well, Lord Marquis, Samoko is extremely brave, but he only likes to charge into battle. This time the old barbarian king is willing to borrow troops. I'm afraid I also want Shamoko to have some experience and see what military strategy is. "When Jin Xuan answered Lu Rui, he raised the corner of his mouth slightly, showing disdain. Lu Rui caught this. It seems that Shamoko is indeed brave and reckless, and he has fought with Jin Xuan. It is estimated that he has fought many times. They were all defeated. Wuling is not far from Wumanxi's cave, and small-scale wars often occur. "Yuanji, after the prime minister and Wumanxi married, Wumanxi became one of his own. What conflicts existed before?" Please Yuanji, for the sake of the Prime Minister, please bear with me. " "Don't worry, Mr. Hou. Since Xuan took charge of Wuling, the conflict between our Han people and the barbarians has eased a lot. However, sometimes the barbarians come to rob our county for food, so Xuan has no choice but to send troops. After Wumanxi marries the prime minister, there will naturally be no shortage of food, and there is no need to start a dispute with Wumanxi. "Jin Xuan answered Lu Rui respectfully. With Cao's support, Jin Xuan will not act recklessly. "Yuanji, don't worry, Wuling is remote and I still know about some difficulties. I will definitely go to the Prime Minister. Duoduo Support the tribesmen of Wuling and Wumanxi. "Lu Rui sneered in his heart, Jin Xuan is also an oil bottle. Originally, the disputes between Wumanxi and the Han people were mostly caused by the governors from various places deliberately withholding the materials and money during transactions, which led to the barbarian attack. In Jin Xuan's mouth But the barbarians took the initiative and defended themselves in order to protect themselves. "Thank you, Lord Marquis. I will definitely serve the Prime Minister to the death." Work for the Cao family! "Of course Jin Xuan heard the implication of Lu Rui's words and immediately gave a big gift to Lu Rui. Lu Rui's words clearly told Jin Xuan that with the support of the Cao family, Wumanxi will not be short of supplies. Of course, these supplies are Cao's Of course, it was Prefect Jinxuan who distributed the aid. At the same time, he was willing to work hard for Jinxuan, and the Cao family would also give Wuling County a lot of support. These things would go into Jinxuan's pocket, so how could Jinxuan be unhappy. The reason? "Yuanji is worried. " Afterwards, Lu Rui chatted with Jin Xuan for a while, and after understanding the preferences of the old barbarian king and Shamoko's character, Lu Rui left Jin Xuan's house and went back to the inn to prepare for the details of sending off his bride. " Also Before Lu Rui was ready, the old Man King came in person to propose the marriage the next day. This caught Lu Rui off guard. He didn't expect the Old Man King to come so soon. Lu Rui had no choice but to act hastily. After meeting with the old Man King, they discussed some important matters and took Cao Hua to Wuman Creek. ¡°Brother Rui, the roast beef from Wuman Creek is really delicious. I have never tasted it so delicious. s things! "L¨¹ Rui and his party arrived at Wuman River, and the old Man King did not waste time. According to the Han people's three matchmakers and six appointments, he let Shamoko and Cao Hua hold a wedding. At this time, Lu Rui and Cao Chong were having a wedding banquet. "Brother Chong, it seems that you like the food in Wuman Creek very much. I think the dancers dancing by the bonfire are pretty good-looking. Since you are deeply in love with the Huamei sisters, why don't you stay here in Wuman Creek and let us have a good time? It would be a good thing for your younger brother-in-law to find a job for you, get married and have children. "Lu Rui pointed to the dancing girl by the bonfire and looked at Cao Chong with a smile. "No, no,Brother ??, a person like me likes to wander around, how can I live here in Wuman River for the rest of my life? This is not good, not good! "After hearing this, Cao Chong waved his hands quickly. "Hahaha, it seems that Brother Chong is also afraid of something. "Cao Pi, who was standing by, saw Cao Chong's embarrassment and couldn't help laughing. After a night of carnival, Lu Rui and others were carried into the guest room drunkenly. "Master Marquis, it's time to get up. The old barbarian king came to discuss with us. The matter of sending troops. "Early the next morning, Kuai Yue knocked on Lu Rui's door and asked Lu Rui to get up. The old Man King had something important to discuss. "This is quite efficient! " Lu Rui dragged his tired body and climbed up from the bed with difficulty. He didn't expect that the Man King would be so fast. He would discuss sending troops on the second day after getting married. Lu Rui put on his clothes and used the Wuman River's After breakfast of grilled fish, we took Kuai Yue and others to the Manwang Cave in Wuman River. The Manwang Cave in Wuman River is in the center of a hollow cave, with a hollow top that allows sunlight to shine through. Entering, about one mile away, there is the meeting hall of Manwang Cave. The old Man King Shatian and Shamoke were already waiting for Lu Rui and his party in the meeting hall. After they arrived at the meeting hall, they greeted each other and gave way. What makes people feel strange is that Cao Hua is also in the meeting hall, wearing Wumanxi's gorgeous clothes, sitting next to Shamoke. "Old Man King, is this?" "Lu Rui was stunned for a moment. This is not a discussion about sending troops. Cao Hua just got married. What are you doing here? "Haha, the Marquis is wondering why Hua'er is here? This is what the Marquis doesn't know "After that, the old barbarian king explained to Lu Rui the reason why Cao Hua was here. It turns out that the barbarians in Wumanxi and the south have a political system with a patriarchal society as the mainstay and a matrilineal society as a supplement. Under this system, although men Ding occupies the dominant position in the clan, but the status of women is not low. According to the custom of the barbarians, the wife of the barbarian king is his military advisor. The wife of the barbarian king must express her position on all matters of the clan, otherwise the clan will not. Passed. Lu Rui understood. This political system has been influential in the ethnic minority areas of China for thousands of years. Even in the period of New China, this system was still implemented in some remote areas. The famous Mrs. Xi in history is a representative. Although she is not a Han woman, she can still march and fight and command the three armies. "So that's it. Rui understands, thank you Old Man King for your advice. " "You are so polite, Lord Marquis. Please sit down." " "Thank you, King Man! " "Master Marquis, since I am married to the Prime Minister, I will naturally help the Prime Minister attack Sun Quan. This time, I will send Samoko as a general to lead 50,000 barbarians to obey the command of the Marquis. I don't know what the Marquis wants. How about next? "The old barbarian king did not mince words and directly proposed to give Lu Rui 50,000 soldiers to attack Sun Quan. "Thank you, old barbarian king. After the Prime Minister marries the old Barbarian King, he will send one thousand dan of food every year, and at the same time, he will send people to teach the barbarians how to cultivate and raise silkworms. As long as the old barbarian king is in trouble, the Prime Minister will definitely help him. "The old barbarian king spoke quickly, and Lu Rui was also unambiguous. He directly told the old barbarian king Cao Cao's conditions. "In that case, thank you, Prime Minister. By the way, Lord Marquis, when will we send out troops? My fifty thousand soldiers are ready, just waiting for the order from the Marquis. " "Old Barbarian King, don't be anxious about sending troops. Rui has his own plan. Now I would like to ask Old Barbarian King to send more spies to Jiaozhou to inquire about Shi Xie's situation. "Lu Rui came to Wuman River. With the support of the old barbarian king's troops, Lu Rui felt relieved. Now he has to deal with Sun Quan. Lu Rui is ready to uproot Sun Quan. Jiaozhou is Sun Quan's retreat. Lu Rui wants to block Sun Quan's retreat. "Shi Xie? Lord Marquis, I heard that Shi Xie has attached himself to Sun Quan, why do you still want to inquire about him? Could it be that the Marquis wanted Shi Xie to send troops to help? "The old barbarian king has lived in Wumanxi for a long time, and he is very familiar with the situation in Jiaozhou. Not long ago, Shi Xie and Sun Quan signed a non-aggression treaty, calling Sun Quan his brother and Shi Xie his brother. They presented Jiaozhou specialties to the Sun family every year. In fact, "Old Barbarian King, of course Rui knows about this, but Sun Quan threatens Shi Xie with strong troops, and Shi Xie must be dissatisfied. Rui just wants to sign a new agreement with Shi Xie. Moreover, Rui and the Prime Minister agreed that they would not send troops to Chaisang until next year. This is our army's strategy. Please understand the old barbarian king. " "Since it is the Prime Minister's plan, I will not say more. As for the matter of the Marquis, I will try my best to find out the information about Jiaozhou. "The old barbarian king is willing to hand over his troops to Lu Rui. Naturally, Lu Rui takes charge of everything. "Thank you, old barbarian king. "Then Lu Rui discussed some specific matters with the old barbarian king, and then returned to his yard. At night, the moonlight was charming and the weather was clear. Lu Rui was aloneEnjoy the beautiful scenery in the garden in the center. Suddenly, a sound not far away attracted Lu Rui. "The sky is pure and white" Lu Rui followed the voice and found out that it was Cao Pi who was drinking and composing poems alone. He seemed to be very depressed and happy, which cleared away the gloomy atmosphere of the previous days. "It turns out to be Zi Huan. Why is Zi Huan so elegant that he drinks and writes poems here? A few days ago, Zi Huan was in a bad mood?" Lu Rui saw Cao Pi and walked over with a smile. "It turns out to be Brother Rui. When Zihuan saw Hua Mei and Samoko today, he felt that his father's decision might not be a mistake. Hua Mei was also happy. I was so happy that I drank and chanted to myself. "Cao Pi happily drank another glass of rice wine. "It seems that Zihuan has figured it out!" Cao Pi's words make sense. Although the initial marriage was Cao Cao's political purpose, now it seems that it is still a good result for Cao Hua. During the day, Lu Rui and others were discussing matters. The old barbarian king would naturally ask Samoko for his opinion, and Samoko would ask Cao Hua from time to time, hoping that Cao Hua would give him advice. After all, Cao Hua was his military advisor's wife. . Seeing all this, Cao Pi felt relieved. I didn't expect that the women in Wumanxi would be treated so highly, which was worthy of my sister. "Brother Rui, although the marriage was not what Huamei wanted, the result is a good one!" Cao Pi looked at Lu Rui happily and handed the bowl of wine in his hand to Lu Rui. "What Zihuan said makes sense. The beginning was not what I wanted, but the result is what I want. Come and drink this wine with us, and congratulate Huamei for having a good home!" "Hahaha, Brother Rui is right, as long as the result is good. , is the most important thing! "Cao Pi poured himself a bowl of wine and drank it all! PS: Thank you for your great support! ! ! !